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<title>Christmases When You Were Mine by PaulrissaRahany</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28296327">Christmases When You Were Mine</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaulrissaRahany/pseuds/PaulrissaRahany'>PaulrissaRahany</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>2020 Benevieve Christmas [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Heartstrings - Fandom, Manifest (TV 2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 00:47:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,133</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28296327</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaulrissaRahany/pseuds/PaulrissaRahany</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Ben Stone heads back to his timeline, Genevieve is left dealing with the questions.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>2020 Benevieve Christmas [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2040186</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Christmases When You Were Mine</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I hope everyone who celebrates has a very Merry Christmas (Eve)!!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>My momma's in the kitchen, worrying about me<br/>Season's greetings, hope you're well<br/>Well I'm doing alright<br/>If you were wondering<br/>---</p><p>“Mr. and Mrs Grant will be throwing the Christmas party this year, Genevieve,” her mother’s voice carried through the family’s old victorian home. </p><p>She had promised to stay in Tennessee for the extended weeks through December. All of her major cases had been completed and she was more than happy to take a vacation away from Washington, D.C. The only downfall was that her parents hadn’t gotten past their only daughter moving away from the Smoky Mountain area. So while city life had always suited Genny, she found it tempting to easily slide into her slower roots. Except, it only took her mother’s subtle reminders at the Christmas season along with her local friends coupling up to pull her out of her small town Christmas haze. </p><p>“Would you stop trying to get her to go out with that boy?” Eli smirked when Olivia huffed in her own annoyance. </p><p>“He’s a great man. Fantastic job--there’s no reason to not at least go on a date?” Olivia watched as her husband simply shook his head and buried his nose back into the daily paper. It was all about Genevieve anyways. “Right, Genny?” </p><p>“Momma, I have a home in D.C. It’s not fair of me to expect a man to travel or even move for a potential happy ending.” Genny put her bookmark back into the latest book that she had collected from the local library. </p><p>Olivia sighed, but knew that once Genny had made her mind up that it would be impossible to change it. “Okay, okay, but you’re still expected to show up. Don’t think you’re getting out of it just because you’ll have to meet new men,” she teased. </p><p>Genny reached up to take her mother’s gentle hand. “You know it’s not that. I’ll happily meet anyone you want me to--just not under those assumptions.” </p><p>---<br/>I've been doing fine without you, really<br/>Up until the nights got cold<br/>And everybody's here, except you, baby<br/>Seems like everyone's got someone to hold<br/>---</p><p>“Is that little Genevieve Carson?” </p><p>The voice came quickly before a hug from behind. The arms were unfamiliar and it caused Genevieve to tense underneath their weight. </p><p>“Hi! Hello!” She quickly pulled away to turn around to Matthew Grant. He was the oldest son of Elizabeth and George Grant. They had grown up together in a small town, but she had left Gatlinburg at the quickest moment. Instead, he went to the local college and stayed home. </p><p>“I saw your father at the bank and he said that you’d be here tonight. It’s been awhile!” Matthew smirked as he reached to wrap an arm around her waist. </p><p>“I’m staying in the mountains for the holidays, before I head back to D.C. There’s still plenty of things going on, but--” </p><p>“Genny?!” </p><p>They both heard the shout as two additional friends headed their directions. It felt like an eerie sense of deja vu from her school years. All of her friends had married off quickly after high school, but she had focused strictly on school and her studies. </p><p>“Rebecca--Eileen--,” Genny took the opportunity to move out of Matthew’s arms to quickly hug the rest of them. </p><p>Eileen squealed and hugged Genny to her. “Your momma told us that you were planning on staying here for a little bit! I told Jonathon that you’d need to come over for dinner one night!” </p><p>She had tried to desperately stay away from the couples of the town. It was a harsh reality check of all she had lost in the recent months, but it wasn’t possible to completely hermit herself from society. </p><p>“Oh, if that’s happening then Carl and I will have to come over!” Rebecca grinned as she quickly brought Genny into a hug. “What about your--friend? Last year your fellow was all over you--did he get to come down from New York again?” </p><p>“Friend?”</p><p>“Fellow?” </p><p>There were two different reactions, but it was easy to tell that her cover was blown. There were too many questions and she had left the city to try to desperately hold onto some sort of normalcy in her mind. Her family should be there, but they had had to leave. </p><p>“I have to leave,” she murmured. It was uncomfortable to be surrounded by couples or even singles who were looking to discuss their lives in detail. Genevieve squeezed the ladies  arms, before giving a hesitant smile at Matthew.  “I need to leave.” </p><p>It only took a few seconds to move past the celebratory men and women inside the decorated home. She didn’t feel reprieve until the cold Tennessee air smacked her in the face and she tightened the warm fur coat over her shoulders. It was an every evening pain. Genevieve had learned to wake up with the best outlook possible, but when the temperature dropped, her happiest friends surrounded her, and the consistent thump of her heartbeat telling her that she was alone--she was impossibly stuck in a situation.</p><p>---<br/>I know this shouldn't be a lonely time<br/>But there were Christmases when I didn't wonder how you are tonight<br/>'Cause there were Christmases when you were mine<br/>---</p><p>She had waited until her parents had gone to bed, before slipping out to make a cup of hot cocoa. It’d only been a few months, but she had learned when she wouldn’t be sleeping. She had gotten used to spending Christmas Eve with Ben. They’d always prepare the Christmas tree with all of the decorations that a kid could possibly want around them. </p><p>The Christmas tree glittered with the decorations that her father had sporadically placed along the pine. The large window outlined the snow softly falling down around the home. She was alone on Christmas Eve for the first time in four years, but in another timeline, she knew that Ben was finally back with his family. Perhaps they were doing the same traditions without even realizing that they had left her desperately alone. </p><p>It hurt to think of him sharing his life with someone else--her motherly instincts had bonded so easily with Cal’s that the thought of him not wanting her caused her heart to ache even more. She tried to hold back the tears, but it felt like it would be the only thing to release the tension within her. </p><p>“Genny?”</p><p>Her father’s familiar voice popped up beside her, but just as quickly so did his arms. Her parents only knew that things didn’t work out between her and Ben. They had never pushed and she had never spoken. </p><p>“Please,” she whispered. “Don’t tell Momma.” </p><p>“Oh, my sweet girl,” he murmured. “It’s going to be okay.”</p>
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